The Skin Microbiome Symposium

Science. Practice. Skin as it should be.

$199 - October 26, 2026

The Loft on King ✧ Toronto, ON

A one-day event for skin therapists, spa owners and directors, nurses, educators, and medical aesthetics professionals ready to challenge conventional thinking and discover a new vision for skin health.

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A Different Way to Think About Skin

What if we've been asking the wrong questions about skin?

For as long as the commercial skincare industry has existed, the focus has been on identifying a problem and then finding the right ingredient or product to correct it. 

But what if the question isn't "How do we treat this?"  What if the real question is "Why did this skin become dysfunctional in the first place?"

What if the most powerful thing we can do is create the conditions for healthy skin to thrive?

Healthy skin isn't built by increasingly aggressive intervention. Skin is restored by creating the conditions that allow it (and its microbiome) to function as nature intended.

The future is partnership, not control. 

For a long time, we've been measuring progress by stronger actives, deeper peels, and more intensive treatments. The future may be less about controlling skin and more about working with its biology.

Skin as it Should Be

Most skincare education is built around a surprisingly simplistic idea: strip the skin, then replace what was removed with a synthetic product. It sounds logical. But the science of the skin microbiome is showing us that repeatedly disrupting the skin ecosystem may be one of the very things standing in the way of long-term skin health.

At the Skin Microbiome Symposium, we'll explore how emerging microbiome science is changing what we understand about skin health, aging, inflammation and sensitivity - and why that matters when we step into the treatment room.

Through practical demonstrations and real experiences from skin professionals and educators, we'll look at what changes when we stop fighting the skin and start working with its ecosystem.

Most importantly, you'll leave with a better understanding of why skin behaves the way it does, and you'll learn a different way of thinking about creating healthier, more resilient skin for the long term.

Full Day Agenda

Monday, Oct 26

8:15-8:30am

Arrival & Registration

8:30-9:00am

Welcome & Introductions

Welcome to the Movement - The Future of Skin Health

Leading chemist, Kim Steyn

9:00-9:30am

Rethinking the Partnership

Coming to us live from South Africa, Kim Steyn reflects on the thinking that shaped Esse, the work that continues to build on Trevor Steyn’s groundbreaking vision, and the brand’s place in professional skincare today. An introduction to Esse as a global, evidence-led brand focused on results, skin health, and a fundamentally different relationship with the skin.

The skin microbiome

9:30-10:30am

Meet Your Microbiome

A look at the invisible ecosystem living on our skin, and how the microorganisms that call it home influence skin health, resilience, and function. We’ll investigate how modern life has disrupted the skin’s natural microbial environment, and how live probiotics help address that mismatch.

10:30-11:00am

Break

Esse_Professional_Treatment_Esse-Experience

11:00am-12:15pm

Esse Live Probiotic Experience

A practical demonstration exploring Esse’s approach to skin treatments, live biotherapeutics, and the key ingredients and principles that support the skin ecosystem.

12:15-1:15

Lunch

esse-academy

1:30pm-2:30pm

Esse Around the Globe

A visual journey through the clinics, spas and professionals bringing a different approach to skin health to life around the world.

Victoria Pond, RN

5:00pm

Esse Aesthetics

A live demonstration of Esse’s approach to microneedling, combining greater client comfort with microbiome and barrier support for better recovery and treatment outcomes.

5:00pm

Cocktails & Professional Conversations

Loft on King

Toronto, Ontario

The Loft on King

We've chosen a beautiful venue to create an environment where questions are encouraged and conversations continue throughout the day. The open space ensures that learning doesn't end. Located in Toronto's King West neighbourhood, The Loft on King offers a bright, contemporary setting for a day of science, discussion, and connection.
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Reserve Your Seat

Space is limited to 100 attendees

Monday, October 26, 2026
The Loft on King · 485 King Street West

Toronto
8:30AM

$199 +HST

Join us for a full day of science, practical learning and conversation about the future of professional skin health. Space is limited to 100 attendees to keep the day engaging, interactive and connected.

What does your ticket include?

  • Full-day participation in the Skin Microbiome Symposium

  • Science-led learning and practical demonstrations

  • Coffee, lunch and refreshments 

  • Esse gifts, including newly released products

  • Time to explore the Esse range and speak directly with educators and other skin professionals

  • Esse products available for purchase during the event

What You'll Experience

Science, Made Relevant

Explore current skin microbiome research and what it means for the skin you see every day.

A Different Way to Think About Skin

Challenge some of the assumptions that have shaped decades of professional skincare and learn how (and why!) to ask better questions.

The Skin as an Ecosystem

Understand how microbial diversity, barrier function, inflammation and the immune system work together to influence skin health.

Practical Application

See professional demonstrations that translate microbiome science into real treatment-room decisions.

Real Professional Experience

Learn from skin professionals about the changes we can make when we begin working with the skin, rather than fighting it.

Ideas You Can Use

Leave with new ways and immediate solutions for assessing skin, talking to clients and making treatment and homecare decisions.

Your Questions Answered

Who is the Skin Microbiome Symposium for?
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